Work

The Association Between Racial Discrimination and Suicidality among African-American Adolescents and Young Adults

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: This study assessed the association between racial discrimination and suicidality (ideation, plan, or attempt) in African-American adolescents and young adults (n = 806, mean age = 17.9 years). Structured psychiatric phone interviews were conducted in offspring and their mothers in a high-risk alcoholism family study. Logistic regression analyses using offspring's own racial discrimination as a predictor revealed elevated odds of suicidality, even after adjusting for correlated psychiatric conditions (OR = 1.76) but was reduced to non-significance after adjusting for maternal experiences of racial discrimination (OR = 3.19 in males), depression, and problem drinking. Findings support a link between racial discrimination and suicidality in African-American youth that, for males, is partially explained by maternal racial discrimination.

Source: Archives of Suicide Research

DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2017.1387207

Authors: Suraj Arshanapally, Kimberly B. Werner, Carolyn E. Sartor, Kathleen K. Bucholz

Institutions: Washington University in St. Louis, Yale University

Language: English

Topic: Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse